Henry Ruggs could face a total of 46 years in prison as prosecutors in his case have added multiple additional charges, now totaling five felonies, as a result of his accident that left one woman dead.
Initially reported by ESPN, Ruggs originally faced being charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death and reckless driving after prosecutors said he was driving 156 mph and had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit in the state of Nevada.
Prosecutors now have decided to charge Ruggs with additional felony counts of DUI and reckless driving due to the injuries suffered by his passenger, girlfriend Kiara Je’nai Kilgo-Washington, who also goes by Rudy Washington. The misdemeanor charge is possession of a firearm while under the influence, stemming from a loaded gun found in Ruggs’ car at the scene.
Ruggs was driving 156mph just before the wreck, breaking down to 127mph right before impact. He was also tested at a .161 BAC, more than twice the legal limit in Nevada, according to TMZ reports.
OutKick.com reported that Las Vegas attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld released a statement indicating they would be representing the Raiders wide receiver.
“On behalf of our client Henry Ruggs III, we are conducting our own investigation as of this writing and ask everyone to reserve judgment until all the facts are gathered,” the attorneys said in a joint statement released to the press.
An NFL spokesperson also released a statement on the situation, per NFL Networks’ Tom Pelissero.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim of this horrific tragedy. We will continue to gather facts and monitor the matter under our policies, but our thoughts at this time are with those impacted by this devastating incident.”
The potential to spend a large duration in jail would be in stark contrast to past NFL DUI incidents that resulted in the loss of life.
Ruggs’ accident marks the fourth active NFL player in the last 25 years to be involved in a drunk-driving incident that resulted in death. The Las Vegas police tweeted that “Ruggs will be charged with DUI resulting in death, and according to USA Today, conviction on these charges could result in a sentence of two to 20 years in prison, under Nevada Law, which identifies the charge as a Class B felony.
All three previous players not only got lighter sentences than the average citizen would, all three returned to the NFL.
I, like everyone I know, has said form of “dude, why didn’t you call an Uber…”
Well… I just learned that The Player Transportation Link (PTL, as described by the NY Times) or some variation of this program has been around since 2011, and provides a sober ride car service to any current or former NFL player. They also have had a partnership with Lyft since 2017.
“This generation is more tied to having a mobile device,” DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the players association, said at the time. “If we can move to a world where we are using the phenomenon to increase the safety of our players.”
More than that — because I have seen people try to defend Ruggs (or other players) about not wanting to take a Uber and ride in some random dude’s Toyota Carolla — the PTL is putting you in a fvcking black limo sedan… for which the NFL Players Association fvcking pays for. And, if you don’t like a limo and want to choose another vehicle, including Escalades or Hummers, stretch limos or a party bus. Players can pay the additional cost with a credit card.
Ruggs is currently out on a $150K bond.
